SALT LAKE CITY — It turns out it can pay to play new games. According to Kotaku, some Twitch streamers can make up to $50,000 per hour for playing new releases.
Kotaku’s article, which confirms a report from The Wall Street Journal, says video game publishers — including Activision, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft — regularly pay streamers with millions of followers huge paychecks to promote new games.
Longer contracts can also lead to more money being paid out, too, according to Omeed Dariani, the CEO of the Online Performers Group.
“I can’t share specific companies, as the payment terms are usually confidential. We had one offer from a AAA publisher that was $60K per hour for two hours. The broadcaster declined it — and the publisher came back with a ‘blank check’ offer, which was still declined," he said, according to Kotaku.
Streamers are becoming more and more important for publishers’ bottom lines — according to Bloomberg, EA’s value jumped 10 percent after the launch of “Apex Legends,” a battle royale revealed in partnership with streaming personalities. Reuters also reports that Tyler “Ninja” Blevins was paid $1 million to promote the game.
Influencers are also becoming more important in advertising, thanks to their high clout with followers.
According to BBC, influencer culture pushes people towards products, but can actually result in feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem and anxiety.